hitch mount
3 or 4 bikes
bike is mounted via wheel trays, not hanging by the frame.
It’s going on a Honda Odyssey mini-van with a 2" hitch.
I’ve looked at the Saris Thelma and CycleOn Pro, Thule T2 and the Yakima Hold Up. Just based on what I’ve seen online, the Yakima looks the sturdiest. The Thelma looks like an easy to use design, but am concerned that the plastic trays may be a bit flimsy. the three that I mentioned are close enough in price that it is not an issue. I want the most durable, solid rack I can get…
The Saris Thelma rocks. It does have a certain amount of sway and jiggle to it, but holds the bikes surprisingly securely. I’ve never had the slightest worry. I highly highly recommend it. Much cheaper on eBay too.
My only complaint is with the hitch on our vehicle that is so hidden underneath that there isn’t enough room for the fold-up feature… but we only ever have bikes on it when it’s in use. I guess in a parallel parking situation it might be handy to be able to fold it up.
thanks for the suggestion…that’s one I had not seen. But I want one that doesn’t require the removal of the front wheel. Not to mention having to lift the bike that high. Not an issue with my road bikes…but my wife would have trouble getting the mountain bikes in that rack. My MTB is a tank.
One word of caution for whatever brand you ultimately choose. I bought a hitch mounted rack and did not notice that our Pacifica’s exhaust pipe was pointed straight at the rear wheel of my bike, only 6 inches or so away. I loaded up the bikes for an 8 hour journey to a race and when I arrived, my rear tire had exploded from what I can only guess was the hot exhaust blowing on it for 8 hours. The tire even appeared to be a little scorched.
Lesson for me, heads-up for you. May not be a problem depending on how low your rack sits compared to your exhaust. I solved the problem by cutting off part of the tail pipe and welding on a downward angled piece of pipe.
.
.
.
I got the Thule T2, and it works great for me. It carries 2 bikes, but you can get the add on for 2 additional bikes if you have a 2in receiver. It has a specific nut that takes away the sway potential so the rack stay nice and tight in the hitch. Well made, a little on the heavy side ~43-45 lbs-ish. It actually carries the bike above the level of the receiver so I never had any problem with the tire getting close to the muffler like the other guy. Yakima has good rack too, plus those come with a bottle opener built in.
+2 for T2- love the rack. first bought thelma: nice- but cheaper and slower to use- and can’t access tailgate when loaded. T2 is awesome rack- not cheap- but worth every penny. wife (she rides) likes T2 better, too.
I have had the Saris Cycle On for a couple of seasons, the 2 bike version. It’s great and I can honestly say i have zero complaints and would definitely recommend it.
A word of caution about any 4 bike on a minivan. Considering the height of the vehicle and the size of the tray, you might have to be weary about going up or down inclines where it could strike the ground.
I have the Saris Thelma. Great idea, but the trays are not the sturdiest. One of mine cracked but Saris support were great and sent me a replacement quickly and at no cost.
The Saris Thelma rocks. It does have a certain amount of sway and jiggle to it, but holds the bikes surprisingly securely. I’ve never had the slightest worry. I highly highly recommend it. Much cheaper on eBay too.
My only complaint is with the hitch on our vehicle that is so hidden underneath that there isn’t enough room for the fold-up feature… but we only ever have bikes on it when it’s in use. I guess in a parallel parking situation it might be handy to be able to fold it up.
x2 on the Thelma. Easy to use and very stable. I bought my on eBay.
I have had a Pro-Rider 2-bike hitch mount for 12 years and used it on our Honda Odyssey. Not as well-known a name, but the toughest, best-engineered rack I have found. Especially nice is the No-Wobble feature.
I don’t know about hitch mounted racks, but I will say that Saris is excellent for their service and racks in general. I have one of their trunk racks and if I needed a hitch rack, I’d definitely look to them first…
2nd on the Draftmaster - super solid rack. Can’t get around removing the front wheel, but as far as loading the bikes, the rack has a release that lets it swing down/away from the rear of the vehicle for EZ racking. Another nice feature is that the bikes ride in the draft of the vehicle and don’t get pelted w/ debris/bugs.
I have the Yakima on my SUV with the 2 bike add on. Very stable and the best part is I can put my kids bikes on it as well and it works great. The locking system is simple. The only negative thing I can think of is that the rack with the 2 bike add on weighs a ton and trying to fold it up is a bitch, thats probably why it’s so sturdy
BTW, Yakima is backwards compatible this means if you have a diskwheel you can securely put it on backwards and the arm will go over the rear wheel isntead of front. Thats something you might want to consider if you have deeper rims than 808s because the wheel straps on saris are not long enough to hold deeper rims.
Thule T2. Bought a Hidden Hitch and since I didnt need to run electrics through it the bolt on was pretty straightforward.
Love the Thule T2. Mountpoints dont touch the frame at all. Just the wheels.
I keep a socket set in the car and within 5 minutes I can take the whole kit off or put it back on.
